Heralded by officials as one of the largest industrial deals in the city in 30 years, Crown Uniform & Linen Service began construction of a 94,000-square-foot plant on the city’s north side on Wednesday.

By Dafney Tales

The Herald News, Fall River, MA

By Dafney Tales

Posted Oct. 25, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Oct 25, 2013 at 7:10 AM

By Dafney Tales

Posted Oct. 25, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Oct 25, 2013 at 7:10 AM

BROCKTON

» Social News

Heralded by officials as one of the largest industrial deals in the city in 30 years, Crown Uniform & Linen Service began construction of a 94,000-square-foot plant on the city’s north side on Wednesday.

Company CEO Chris Spilios said the 309 Battles St. site met every requirement to run a large-scale laundry service.

He added that the new space, the site of the former Howard Johnson manufacturing plant and Fairfield Farms Kitchen, will help the company grow and hire more people, he said.

Mayor Linda Balzotti, who was given an engraved pen by Spilios and his brother, Arthur, who also heads the company, said the project will strengthen the local and regional economy.

“And for our city, the project will also grow the commercial tax rate,” she said. “It will bring the relocation of jobs, but it also has the potential to create new jobs.”

Those same sentiments were echoed by other elected officials who were at the event, including state Sen. Thomas Kennedy and Reps. Michael Brady and Claire Cronin.

Spilios also awarded Ward 7 City Councilor Chris MacMillan, who has been working with the company to choose Brockton for almost four years, with a golden statue of a shovel.

The linen rental and laundry service, founded in 1914 and based in Nashua, N.H., provides uniforms, towels and other rental linens to thousands of clients in New England.

The company, which has distribution centers around New England – including one each in Fall River and South Boston – will merge those two operations into the new plant.

Company officials plan to move the existing workforce and will look to fill any available positions from within the Brockton area, part of a 13-year tax-increment financing plan given to the company by city officials last June.

Over the life of the agreement, the company would pay reduced property taxes in exchange for building in Brockton, saving $1.06 million.

The $8 million project will add 80,000 square feet of factory space and 14,000 square feet of office space.

The company’s biggest clients are in the food and beverage industries, and in retail medicine, such as dentistry and industry.